The budget that the City passed Wednesday included three caveats to the budget that the Township passed June 9 — that $15,000 be set aside for a building fund, that $15,000 be set aside for a reserve fund, and that the replacement cycle of the fire trucks be extended from 20 years to 25 years.

Without an approved budget from both government bodies, the Fire Commission cannot implement the changes voters voted for in the millage nearly ten months ago, a dilemma that has the Township considering the dissolution of the department with the City.

Township board members expressed outrage Thursday that neither they nor the Fire Commission in charge of the budget had been consulted about the changes prior to the City's vote.

"I feel that because the City approved the budget with these conditions that the Fire Commission and the Township have not agreed to or even known about until 7:30 last night is an outrage," said trustee Larry Anderson, who attended the City's meeting and reported their decision to the board. "They did not approve the proposed budget, but rather just created another budget that the two other parties involved did not agree to."

Anderson said that one council member, Susan Soderstrom, seemed to be against the added changes, but was not given time to speak before the vote was called.

The board had already began looking into the legalities of a dissolution when the City failed to bring up the fire budget during their July meeting. The action requires a 90 day notice to the City of the Township's intentions, which board members considered filling immediately.

Instead, the board opted to wait until the Fire Commission meets on Tuesday to see if the Commission can agree to the terms the City set with their vote. The Township meets again on August 23, where they will discuss whether or not to proceed with the dissolution depending on whether an agreement can be reached with the Fire Commission.

"I'm really upset with the City," said trustee Paul Bush, a member of the Fire Commission. "If we're gonna vote on something, the two parties should agree, not grandstand and change it at the last hour."

Anderson said he would prefer to come to an agreement with the Fire Commission and the City, but was not afraid to file the dissolution notice at the board's meeting on August 23.

"If we have to play hardball and use that card at the (August 23) meeting, I'm ready," he said.

Voters passed the fire millage in November to almost double the fire department's funding, bringing it to $1.4 million. Since that time, the Township and City have been unable to agree on the structure of the Fire Commission that would set the budget with the new funds or other rules for joint department, making it impossible for any of the approved changes, such as a full-time fire department to reduce response times, to occur.